Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-05-12
EVERGLADE LIFE.
A Region Which Is Virtually I'm.
inhabited by Man.
The Tropical Character of the Thousand
Miles of Gloom - Bird Life - The Alli-
gator "Flotilla" Which Curiously
Follows Civilization.

The Everglades of Southern Florida
comprise an area of 40 0square miles.
Of this domain, about two-thirds is gem
orally regarded as irreclaimable, unin-
habitable, and almost impenetrable
The Atlantic, washing the eastern
border, is shallow for miles from the
shore. There are no approaches invit-
ing to the traveller, few inducements
within to prolong his visit.
A section bordering the extreme
northern Everglades, comprising the
Lake Okeechobee region, is becoming
subjected to the uses of agriculture by
an extensive drainage system projected
by the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Canal
and Okeechobee Land Company. The
lake, covering an area of 1000 square
miles, was found to be twenty-five feet
above high tide, and by means of a
canal connecting it with the Caloosa-
hatchee river on the west, its level has
been materially lowered, and q system
of interior navigation made is now
open. AS the water gradually lowers,
hundreds of thousands of acres of
land are exposed.
The vaster domain of the Everglades
lying to the south of Lake Okeechobee
may be regarded as an aquatic jungle,
wild, weird, and tangled in wonderful
semi-tropic vegetation, intermingled
with masses of chaotic rocks. To say
that the Everglades are entirely i'm
penetrable is not in accordance with
fact. 1t is true that the United States
Engineers have failed to explore the
region, as directed at various times by
the War Department; also that the en-
terprise of the New York Herald, sue
cessfully directed in other ventures,
tailed in the south of Florida. One
meets, however, an occasional adven-
turous spirit who has penetrated the
Everglades and brought back wealth
of incidents and sketches illustra-
tive of his trip by sail and pad
die. The most pretentious and
valuable exploration of the Everglades
yet made was projected by Major Ed
ward A. Burke, proprietor of the New
Orleans Times Democrat. The expedi-
ton was conducted by Major A. P.
Williams. and consisted of a dozen
men, canoes and sail-boats. The party
entered the Everglades at the most
,,atpt of i Oh nlynanhnhaa
running nearly straight line through
White Water bay on the southwest
coast of Florida, where it arrived after
twenty days. Much of the path through
the Glades had to be literally cut and
burned, owing to the excessive growth
of schrub willow, sawgrass, custard-
apple, etc. During the progress of the
party, eight rivers were discovered and
explored, and innumerable islands
named. Explorations by direction Of
Major Burke may be said to have been
more or less continuous in this region
during the past several years.
If one had the advantage of an ele.
waited position at the camp of Tiger
Tail, and the same rare atmosphere
which pervades the valley of Great Sal,
Lake, the spectacle visible for one
hundred miles to the south would diff,
fer from any other to be seen on the
globe. A thousand square miles Of
tall sawgrass would be seen spreading
out nearly in the shape of an artists
palette. Toward the far end would be
seen series of little inland lakes fed
with miniature rivers, each lakelet sys
tenn having the appearance of cutie
fish. Interblending with the lakes
thousands of islands would be visible
far beyond the sawgrass sea. The
fiutter of bird-life in the air would bt
like the milky way at night, and the
swarms of insects like distant sand
storm on the Sahara. Such is the grea
floating marsh of Florida, ocean-washec
on the east and south, cypress-barri
caded on the west
The Everglades present world O
vegetable life of semi-tropical char
acter. The lndia-rubber-tree abound'
in sufficient growth to suggest its sub
lection to utility. Many of the tree'
are of large size, varying from twent,
to fifty feet in height, and having diam
eters often exceeding two feet. Thei1
growth is suggestive of many purel,
tropical species. the limbs bending owe
and taking root in the soil. Wher
notched they emit white fluid in larg'
quantities, which gradually thicken
and becomes dark in color. The cab
bage- palms are the most conspicu
Gus objects throughout the region
They grow on all islands and on tn